Positioning table



y Filed-March ...21,1956

A. s. 'CHARLAT POSITIONING TABLET 2 Sheets-Sheet l llll'l ATTORNEYS l2 v ARNOLD CHARLAT Feb. 24', 1959 A, s, CHARLA-r 2,874,599

POSITI'ONING TABLE I Filed March 21, 1956 2 Sheecs--SheetI 2 FIG. 3

INVENTOR ARNOLD CHARLAT ATTORNEYS s This invention relatesfto means 4for positioning a workpiecesrelativegto .the operatingmember of aA machine,

suchaspthe `spindle of a drillingmachine,in order that.

an operation may be.p,erformedon the workpiece at a desired location. nMore particularly, the invention isconcerned with a novel positioning table for supportingia workpiece, while operations are performed thereonat dif- ,Y

ferent places, the table-beingmovable` to shift 'the workpiece and capable ofbeing exactly centered and quickly lockedin its diterentpositions. The new table offers especial advantages, .when employed; in `connection with drilling machines of the; turret type, such as'that disclos'ed inGrimes Patent 2,364,631, issued YDec'emberlZ, 1944,-land. a 'form of thev table suitable'for` use with afturret drilling machine will bel illustrated and describedin detail forpurposes `of explanation. i

Drillingmachnes of the type shown in the Grimes patent include a single spindle `and Ya turret carrying a pluralityo'f tools, suchas drills'of different sizes, v"which can-be brought into-ele'ctive position` to be -driven by the spindle upon angular movement of the turret. While such turret machinescanbe quickly adjusted for the performance of operations with vdifferent tools, much of the advantage theyl afford isv lost, `-unlessV the workpiece can belquickly' andeasily positioned `relative to` the spindle fort-the successive'operations to be. performed.

The present inventionhis directed tothe provision of alum'versal positioning table`, which can bevquickly adjusted to position any one lof anumber of locations on a workpiece in' accurate relation: to the operating member of a machine, so that aplura'lity' of different Aoperations may 'be performedon the workpiecefwithout removing it from the table; The table` isv of simple,` relatively inexpensive 'construction andits operation requires little instruction or training ofthe operator. v

For aV better understanding ofthe invention, reference may be made tothe accompanying drawings, in whichV Fig. 'l isa plan view 'of one form of the'new positioning table; l l

Fig..2 is a partial sectional view on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; t

Fig. 3 is'l a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a partialV sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. l. l

The positioning table illustrated comprises a base 10 having a top 11 supported in raised position on a peripheral ange 12 having extensions 13, by which the base may besecured rigidly on the table of the machine,

with 'which it is tobeused. The top of the base may be strengthened by ribs 14 and it is preferably formed with a central circular boss '15 surrounded by a flat annular surface 1'6. t s

The to'p 11`of the base is formed with a hardened annulai bearingsurface and, for' this pl11"'posev an annular bottom bearing plate 17 t is 'mounted on theV surface 16 of the baseto encircle the boss 15 withthe boss'tting the opening through the plate snugly and thus holding .f-g Patented Feb..24, 17959 2 the plate against movement on surface 16. An annular ball thrust bearing 18 rests on the upper surface of the plate 17 and includes a plurality of vballs and a retainer holding the balls separated and in the form of a ring. The bearingis of such diameter thatwhen.it is engaged with one side of the boss, the balls at its oppositeside rest upon the topof plate 17, so that-the'boss limits the movement of the'bearing to the surface Vof,` plate 17.'

annular top bearing plate 19 rests upon the bear- .ing 18 and is securedtbyscrews 20 to the lowerY surface of a flange 21 extending downwardly ,around the central openingfthrough a plate 22 of 'generally annular shape and forming part of the workpiece Ysupport 23. The upper surface of plate 22 is at and itis formed with a groove 24 around the vopening through the plate. A hole location plate 25 is disposed within the opening through plate 22 and plate 25-has a peripheral flange 26, which may be seated in groove 24. Thehole location plate issecured .in position by screws V27 extendingthrough the ange 26 and into plate .22 and,"whe'n plate-25'is in position, lits top surface is in the plane'of the 'topsu'rface 4of `plate 22. A center plate 28 having `a bottom peripheral ange 29 is mounted to rest onits flange on the top 11 of base 10 and is heldin .place'by screws 30 threaded through the top' ofbaseA 10 a'ndinto flange 29. The plate 28 lies at a higher level than the top bearing plate 19 and has* a central opening of p less' 'diameter thanplate 19, so that the plate 28- overlies plate 19 regardless of the position of the latter. The edgegof the opening through plate 28 acts Aas afstop'cooperating with the .ange' '21 on plate 22 `to limit theho'rizontal movements of the workpiece support'23;

The-plate 25 isrprovidedvwith a plurality of opening 31 in its lower surface disposed in relative position'scorresponding to the relative positions" of/l the operations to b'e performed on the workpiece and the workpiece support 23`can be held in dilerent positions with relationto theV base by means of a pin 32, which is insertable into any one of theopenin'gsl. The pin lies in theaxis of the circular boss `15 on top of base 410 and is movable in a bushing 33 mounted in anl axial bore through the boss. The lower end of the pin is connected to a piston 34, which lies within a cylinder 35 attached to the underside of the base beneath the boss. The piston is urged upwardly by a spring 36 seated in the cylinder below the piston and the ,pistonV has a peripheral groove containing an O-ring 37 of resilient material, which serves as a piston ring. s The Vbase is'formed withfa'passage 38, which leads into cylinder 35 above the piston and autting 39 threaded into oneV end nof the passage 38 supports one end of a fluid supply pipe 40, the other end of which isV carried by a fitting l41 threaded into the inner end of a passage 42 through ange 12; An air pipe 43 is connected by a tting 44 to the outer endofpassage 42. The passage 38 has a small branchpassage 45vlerading into the space beneath the holelocation plate 25.

An extension 46 from the outer wall of Yllange 1,2. adjacent the passage 42 through the llange is formed with a pas-sage 47 and a pipe 48 leads from a source of air under pressure to a fitting 49.threaded into extension 46 and leading to one end of passage 47. The plate 22 of the work-piece 'support 23 is formed with an 'extension 50, to which the body of a valve 51 is attached by screws 52. A tting53 threaded into the valve body leads. to one side of the valve member and an air pipe 5,4 connects fitting 53 to a fitting 55 threaded into extension 46 and leading to the other end of passage 47.` A tting 56 threaded into an opening in the valve body 51 at the downstream side of the ,valve member` isconnected to pipe 43. The valve'iscperable by a pin'S'Z,r which is engageable by` anarm 58 connected to an operating handle 59 pivotally mounted on a pin 60 supported in a lug 61 lin the flange 29 of center plate 28 `enters the slot.

rising from the extension 50 from the plate 22. The lhandle is curved toextend-around the-side of the workpiece support and it includes a rod 62 terminating in a ball 63, which lies forward of the base 10. y In its normal position, the lhandle-rests upon a spring l64 encircling a 4pin 65 in a 1ug66 forming part of extension 50 of the workpiece support and the valve is closed.

A slot 67 is formed inthe under surface ofthe annular plate 22 and-its extension 50 anda -pin 68 mounted The slot lies on a radius of the-opening through plate 22 and is of such length that the pin 68.never hits an end of the slot regardlessof the movements of the workpiecesupport. After the pin 32 has enteredan opening in plate 25, the

slot 67 and pin 68 prevent rotation of the workpiece support aboutpin 32 .as acenter, ,as might otherwise occur, when a .drilling operation is being performed on the workpiece. r

In the use of Jthe positioning table, the workpiece is held fixed in place on the' workpiece support v23 by any of the usual workpiece holders and the holder may be secured to the table as by being bolted directly toV the .table or maybe v.secured to a wear plate bolted or otherwise fastened to the table. In order that the workpiece in the holdermay be properly positioned with reference to the workpiece support of the table, the support is provided Witha pair of locating pins 70, 71, which enter openings in the holder. or wear plate and thus tix the position of theworkpiece in relation to the hold positioning plate 25.

The table illustrated is provided with means for indieating the hole `31, which is centered and receives pin 32, and, for this purpose, the base may be provided with an extension 10a having a flat top, on which a card 72 may be placed. The card has openings 73 in positions corresponding to the positions of openings 31 in plate 25 and a pointer 74 attached to the support 23 projects over the vcard and indicates the hole 73 corresponding to the opening'31 receiving pin 32. Preferably, the top of the extension 10a is blackened, so that the opening 73 through the card may bemore easily seen.

In the use of the new table for centering a workpiece under the spindle of the drilling machine, a hole positioning plate 25 is rst prepared. For this purpose, openings 31 are formed in the under surface of the plate and the openings correspond in number and relative position to `the locations where `holes are to be drilled in a workpiece in a holder secured to the support 23 and positioned by means of pins 70,71. The plate is then mounted in the opening in plate 22 and, when the workpiece holder is secured to the support 23 and positioned by pins 70, 71, the entry of the retractable pin 32 into an opening 31 in plate 25 causes one of the hole locations on the workpiece to be aligned axially with the spindle of the machine. After a hole has been drilled at this location, the operator presses the handle 59 downwardly and this opens valve 51, so that air from the source of supply enters cylinder 35 and forces the piston 34 downwardly to withdraw pin 32 from the opening, in which it has been received. As the pin is retracted, a part of the air supplied to the cylinder escapes through the branch passage 45 into the space beneath the workpiece support. As soon as the pin 32 has been fully retracted, the operator can move the workpiece support freely on the ball bearing in the approximate direction of the next opening 31 in plate 25. The handle 59 is then swung upwardly to cut olf the air supply to the cylinder, so that the spring 36 will raise the pin and cause it to bear against the bottom face of plate 25. The operator then moves the support until the pin is approximately aligned with the next opening 31, whereupon the pin, because of its shape, enters the tapered opening and, as it does so, completes the accurate positioning of the support 23 relative to the spindle. The handle 59 lserves not only as a control for the air supply but also as a convenient means 41 for shifting the support 23 and the tapered shape of the pin 32 and openings 31 facilitates the entry of 'the `pin in any of the openings and also insures that the support will be positioned with great accuracy relative to the machine spindle.

The air, which enters the space between the top of the boss 15 and the bottom surface of the hole positioning plate 25, when valve 51is opened to retract pin 32 to permit movement of the workpiece support, ordinarily escapes through the ball bearing 18 and between the top of plate 28 and the bottom surface of the annular plate 22 and the escaping air prevents chips from entering the space below the workpiece support 23, as the latter is being moved. When the support 23 is in approximately central position, the ow of air through passage 45 may result in the air being trapped beneath plate 25 and with little chance for the air to escape because of the small clearance between the top bearing plate 19 and the boss 15. The air so-trapped might raise-the workpiece-support and the top bearing plate, so that the latter is forced tightly against the under surface of the vcenter plate -28 and the workpiece support cannot be freely moved' on the bearing. To avoid entrapment of the air asdescribed, the ange 21 on the annular plate 22 lmay be provided with a number of radial passages 21a! and the -plate '25 lmay be reduced in diameter adjacentiits lower -end as in dicated at 25a to provide an annular passage leading upward from the lower end of the plateto passages 21a. The centerrplate 28 is also provided with a plurality of radial channels 28a .in its lower surface leading outward from its inner edge. With the construction described, air entering the space between the top of boss 15 and the under side of plate 25 can .flow through passages 25a and 21a and enter channels 28a, so that the pressure on opposite sidesof the top bearing .plate 19 is equalized. Under such conditions,.air cannot be trapped and the workpiece support cannot be raised by air and held against movement by engagement of the top bearing plate 19 with the center plate28.

In the drilling yof some workpieces, guide bushings for the drills may be required and such bushingsmay be inserted in a plate mounted on top of the work-holding device or in a bracket attached tothe 'base '10 and overlying the support 23. When bushings are employed in a plate `or bracket, the approximate hole centers on the workpiece can be readily identied by reference to :the locations of the bushings,'but, lwhen 'bushings are not used, the card 72 and pointer 74 provide indications of the approximate locations of the hole ,centers and the workpiece support '23 is brought to exact position Iby the taper fit of pin 32 in any of the openings 31.

When a run on workpieces ofone type has been completed and operations are to be performed on workpieces of another type, the hole location plate 25 previously in use is removed from the workpiece .support and ,replaced by another having openings appropriate for the new -operations. The preparation of a hole positioning plate iS relatively simple and such a plate may be usedlfor an'indelinite period in the machining of workpieces, sincethe holes 31 are subjected to little wear by the insertion of the pin therein.

I claim:

l. A table for positioning a workpiece beneath the `spindle of a machine, which comprises a base adapted to be secured in fixed position and having a flat'annular bearing surface at its top, a thrust bearing resting movably on the annular bearing surface and includinga plurality of balls and retainer means jholding the fballs in the form of a ring of a diameter substantially greater than the inner diameter of the annular bearing surface vand substantially smaller than the outer diameter of said surface, means on the base limiting the horizontal movement of the thrust bearing to the area of the annular bearing surface, said limtiing means being of substantially smaller dimensions horizontally Vthan the diameter 5 of the ring of balls of the thrust bearing and permitting limited free movement of the thrust bearing on said bearing surface, an annular top bearing plate movably resting on the thrust bearing and having an inner diameter substantially smaller and an outer diameter substantially larger than the diameter of the ring of balls of the thrust bearing, a workpiece support above and secured to the top bearing plate, the Isupport including a centrally disposed hole location plate of smaller transverse dimensions than the diameter of .the ring of balls of the thrust bearing and having -openings in relative positions corresponding to the relative positions, at which operations are to be performed on the workpiece, means on the base for restricting the horizontal movement of the top bearing plate and support, said restricting means being engageable by the top bearing plate and being of substantially greater horizontal dimensions than the plate to permit limited freedom of horizontal movement of the plate and support, and means engageable with a selected opening in the hole location plate for holding the support with the workpiece positioned relative to the machine spindle.

2. The table of claim 1, in which the limiting means is a central boss on the base extending through the open centers of the annular bearing surface and of :the thrust bearing.

3. The table of claim l, in which the workpiece support includes a plate having an opening through it and a bottom llange encircling the opening, the top bearing plate is attached to the lower end of the ange on .the support plate, and the means for restricting the movement of the top bearing plate and the workpiece support is a center plate secured to the base and having a top lying `between the top bearing plate and the support plate.

4. The table of claim 1, in which the top bearing plate has an opening, the hole location plate is disposed with its openings exposed through the top bearing plate opening, and the means for holding the support with the workpiece positioned relative to the machine spindle includes a pin mounted for vertical movement in the base and `insertable into any of the openings in the hole location plate, the openings and pin having mating tapers, a spring urging the pin to effective position, and pneumatic means for retracting the pin, the pneumatic means including a cylinder on the base, a piston in the cylinder connected to the pin, a compressed air supply pipe mounted on the base and connected to the cylinder at one side of the piston, and a branch passage leading from the connection between the pipe and cylinder into the space within the thrust bearing and beneath the hole location plate including a cylinder on the base, a piston in the cylinder connected to the pin, and compressed air supply means mounted on the base and connected to the cylinder at one side of the cylinder, said means including a branch passage leading into the space within .the thrust bearing and beneath the hole location plate.

5. The table of claim 4, in which the supply of air to the cylinder is controlled by a valve mounted on the workpiece support and the valve is operable by a handle mounted on the support and extending forward along one side of the support, the handle also serving as a means for shifting the support horizontally on the base.

6. The table of claim 4, in which the means for limiting the movements of the top bearing plate and the workpiece support is a center plate having a top lying between the top bearing plate and the workpiece support and passages are provided in the workpiece support and between the center plate and the top bearing plate to permit air flow to equalize the air pressure on opposite sides of the top 'bearing plate.

7. The table of claim 1, in which the support includes a plate having an opening through it and the hole location plate is removably mounted in the opening through the support plate with its top in the plane of the top of the support plate.

8. The table of claim 1, in which the means engageable with a selected opening in the hole location plate includes a pin receivable in the opening, and the support and base are connected by interfitting means permitting movement of the support relative to the base to place the openings successively in position to receive the pin, the intertting means being disopsed ecentrically relative to the support and base and co-operating with the pin, when the latter is in an opening, to prevent angular movement vof the support about the pin as an axis.

9. The table of claim 8, in which the interiitting means is a slot and pin connection.

10. The table of claim 9, in which the pin is mounted on the base and the slot is formed in the support.

11. The table of claim 9, in 'which the slot extends radially relative to the center of the hole location plate.

12. The table of claim 1, which includes means on the workpiece support for iixing a workpiece holder on the support in proper relation to the hole location plate and the fixing means includes a pin mounted centrally in the hole location plate and a pin mounted in the support at a distance from the rst pin, the pins projecting above the upper surface of the support.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,396,302 Wagner Nov. 8, 1921 1,946,835 Buhr Nov. 14, 1929 2,536,937 Hosea Jan. 2, 1951 2,645,981 Hirvonen July 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 253,762. Switzerland Nov. 16, 1948 292,868 Switzerland Nov. 16, 1953 

